There are many kinds of sports that spectators follow across the globe. Many would choose to stick with popular sports like football, basketball, and cricket. These kinds of sports are played in almost every country on the seven continents globally.
Cricket, with over 2.5 billion estimated fans across Australia, Asia, and the United Kingdom, is second in the list of most popular sports, trailing football, as rated by passionate sports fans. In this article, let’s help you explore the different cricket leagues you can follow. Let’s also discover which cricket players dominate in these leagues.
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Indian Premier League (IPL)
Headquartered at Cricket Centre, Mumbai, India, the Indian Premier League is considered the most popular cricket league globally, if not the most followed. Played by ten teams, the IPL follows the round-robin format with a group system and playoffs. It was founded on September 13, 2007, by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI). The league has produced 16 successful seasons since its inauguration in 2008.
Gujarat Titans, from Ahmedabad, Gujarat, India, was the current champion of the league. The team was founded in 2021, and this was their first IPL title ever since.
So, to give you an idea of which group to bet on cricket, the winningest team in the IPL is the Mumbai Indians, with five wins. Dwayne Bravo, an all-rounder cricket star and the West Indies’ former team captain, holds the record for most wickets with 183. Virat Kohli, the top-order batter of Royal Challengers, Bangalore, based in Bengaluru, Karnataka, India, has 6903 runs in his IPL appearances. He has the most runs in the history of the league.
Australia Big Bash League (BBL)
Founded by Cricket Australia, the Big Bash League, also known as Big Bash or BBL, has become one of the most notable cricket leagues worldwide. Played by eight teams, the Australian cricket league follows the double round-robin and knockout finals format. The BBL superseded the KFC Twenty20 Big Bash, sponsored by KFC.
Perth Scorchers was the current BBL titleholder. It is the team’s fifth win in the league. This commendable record made them the most successful cricket team in the BBL and Australia. The player with the most runs executed in the league is Chris Lynn, totaling 3421. Sean Abbott, a 31-year-old all-rounder, secured the highest wickets in the league’s history with 154.
The Vitality Blast
In 2003, the England and Wales Cricket Board (EWCB) established the Vitality Blast or T20, following a group stage and knockout format. The league has hosted 20 successful seasons since its opening game on June 13, 2003. It has a large volume of participating teams, with 20 in total. The Hampshire Hawks was the 2022 Vitality Blast titleholder. It’s the team’s third championship title in the league. Meanwhile, the most successful cricket team in the Vitality Blast is the Leicestershire Foxes, with also three titles under their belt.
The 2022 Vitality Blast Best Player of the Year was won by James Vince, an English batter from Cuckfield, West Sussex, England. Vince was the team Captain of the winning team, Hampshire Hawks. He was also the leading scorer in the latest season of the Vitality Blast.
Pakistan Super League (PSL)
Inaugurated in 2016, the Pakistan Super League uses the round-robin and playoffs tournament format. Founded by the Pakistan Cricket Board, the PSL has become one of the most popular cricket leagues worldwide. For the record, it has produced eight successful seasons from the year it started.
Played by six teams, Lahore Qalandars was the latest title holder of the league. This was their second win in the PSL. They are tied with Islamabad United with two PSL titles. The cricketer with the most runs in the league is Babar Azam, with 2935. Meanwhile, Wahab Riaz had the most wickets, totaling 113.
Bangladesh Premier League (BPL)
Composed of seven competing cricket teams, the Bangladesh Premier League has produced nine seasons since its inaugural edition in 2012. The game format it follows is the Twenty20, while the tournament format is double round-robin and playoffs.
The current league champion is the Comilla Victorians, based in Comilla, Bangladesh. This successful team has earned its fourth BPL title, making them the winningest cricket team in the league. Tamin (The Dasher) Iqbal has the record for most runs with 2628. In January 2022, he announced his retirement from cricket. Meanwhile, Shakib Al Hasan has the record for most wickets with 122 under his belt. The 36-year-old all-rounder was the team captain of the Bangladesh National Team. Al Hasan was the 90th most famous athlete as ranked by ESPN. He was also ranked the top all-rounder in ODI and T20I cricket by the International Cricket Council.
Final Thoughts
As the world’s second most popular sport, cricket also remains one of the games with the most competitive and exciting leagues. These leagues are distributed in the 104 International Cricket Council (ICC) member countries. The list we have shared with you is only the tip of the iceberg, yet these leagues should be on the bucket list of all cricket games worldwide.
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